Wide paper strips and a simple over-under pattern make a colourful mat for pretend tea or a favourite toy.
Paper weaving gives busy hands a repeating job without requiring a perfect result. Wide strips are easier to handle than narrow ones, and the finished mat can become a landing place for a toy or part of a pretend café.
Illustrative photo for this preview activity. Photo: Tasha Kostyuk / Unsplash.
What you need
One sheet of sturdy coloured paper for the base
Two or three sheets in other colours
A ruler and pencil
A glue stick
Scissors, with an adult handling the cutting where needed
Prepare the paper
Fold the base sheet in half across its shorter direction. An adult draws parallel lines from the folded edge, about three centimetres apart, stopping three centimetres before the open edge. Cut along the lines and unfold the sheet. Cut the other paper into broad strips slightly narrower than the spaces in the base.
Weave your mat
Lay the base flat and choose the first strip. Demonstrate passing it over one band and under the next.
Let your child guide the strip across the whole sheet, with adult help holding the base steady if needed.
Start the second strip the opposite way: under, then over. Push it gently beside the first without forcing it tight.
Continue with a few more strips, choosing colours as you go. Stop before the paper becomes difficult to handle.
Add a small amount of glue at each strip's ends to hold it in place. Let it dry flat according to the glue's instructions.
Use and adapt
The paper mat is for dry play, not hot dishes, candles or wet drinks. Put a favourite toy on it or draw a paper cup for a pretend tea party. An easier version uses only three very wide strips; an older child can plan a repeating colour sequence.
Collect reusable strips in an envelope, recycle tiny offcuts and return the scissors to an adult. A few wrinkles are part of working with paper and do not need to be corrected.
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